Note-accenting device.



B R. VAN VALKENBURG. NOTE ACCENTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-l5. 1915.

1,276,595. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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B. R. VAN VALKENBURG.

NOTE ACCENTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. IBIS.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

INVENTOR. fiuri h. V022 laifienfiagf @1 I W I ATTORNEYS.

BURT R. VAN VALKENBURG, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

NOTE-ACCENTING DEVICE.

Application filed December 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURT R. VAN VALK- ENBURG, a citizen of the United States, re siding at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Note- Accenting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatically operated musical instruments and more particularly to means whereby the notes of the melody may be accented and caused to stand out fromv the accompaniment.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism for accomplishing theabove result, which is simple in operation, and effective in accomplishing the purpose for which it is designed.

Another object of my invention is to so arrange the device that when the body of the music is increased or subdued the melody is correspondingly affected though always caused to stand out from the accompaniment.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an attachment of this character, which does not require specially perforated music rolls thereby enabling any music to be used in connection with this solo device.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which my device is used in connection with the valve chest of pneu matically operated musical instruments.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a certain vacuum chest and bellows used to secure different degrees of vacuum in the valve chest.

. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section through this valve chest and bellows.

Fig. 4 is a view in section on 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in section through one of the keys located in the stylestrip or other convenient position in front of the musical instrument, by which the solo device is thrown into operation.

Referring to corresponding parts in the several views by the same numerals of reference, 1 denotes the valve chest of the type Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Serial N 0. 67,012.

commonly used in pneumatic player instruments, having the pneumatics 2, by which the striking mechanism of the instrument is actuated. This chest is provided with the vacuum cavity 3, to which these pneumatics are connected in the usual well known manner.

In using my improved device this vacuum cavity is divided into two or more parts by means of division walls 4. Thus as here illustrated, there are formed four separate vacuum cavities in the chest 1, denoted respectively by 7, 8, 9 and 10. It will be understood that any desired number of such cavities may be formed, but in practice I find that when used in connection with the pneumatically operated piano four such subdivisions are sufiicient for all practical purposes. The two center divisions may be of less extent than the end ones, as the melody is more frequently found in notes played on this position of the instrument.

The combined vacuum chest and equalizing bellows, denoted in general by 12, consists of the vacuum chest 13, constructed of a plurality of layers of suitable material, in which is a cavity 14 connected by means of a suitable pipe 16 with a vacuum pump. Mounted on the upper surface of the vacuum chest is a bellows comprising movable board 17 held apart from the upper portion of the vacuum chest by means of spring 18. This movable board contains a recess 19 across which is pivotally mounted a rod 20, carrying within the bellows a lever arm 21 and on the outside a lever arm 22, which latter is connected by a rod 23 with a pivotally mounted lever 24, having a handle 25 eX- tending to the outside of the musical instrument within convenient reach of the operator.

The upper plate of the valve chest is provided with an elongated opening 26, above which is a block 27 mounted on the surface of the valve chest and provided with a similarly shaped chamber 28. From this chamber a rectangular opening 29 is provided in one side of the block whereby communication is afforded between the cavity 14 and the interior of the bellows. This opening 29 may be more or less closed by means of a pivotally mounted leaf 30 connected by means of a link 31 with the arm 21.

In the upper layer 32 of the valve chest are provided a plurality of openings 33, there being as many of these openings as there are sub-divisions in the valve chest 1, and each of these openings is provided with a side outlet connected by tubular members 3 1, 35, 36 and 37, with the vacuum chambers 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively.

On the upper and lower surface of member 32 around the openings 33 are disks 88 having suitablepassageways for the fiow of air and central openings through which extend the valve stems 39. These stems within the cavity are provided with disks 10, one of which is adapted to seat on the upper disk 35 and the other on the lower disk 38, these disks being so spaced that when one is opened the other is closed.

In alinement with each of these cavities 33 is a cell 40 in the lower layer 10, these cells being separated by the flexible diaphragm ll from the vacuum chamber and provided with a disk 4L2 whereon rest the lower ends of valve stems 39. In these cells passageways 48 extend to the outside of the chest and are there connected by suitable tubes 4:4 vith the operating keys 15, 4:6, 1'? and 1-8. These keys extend through the stile-strip or other convenient position and are arranged to normally close the opening into the tubes 4%.

Under ordinary conditions air flows from the various cavities 7, 8, 9 and 10 through the tubular connections 34, 35, 36 and 37, to the cavities 33, thence through the openings in the upper disk 38 through the opening under the valve plate 30 into the lower chamber 14, and thence through the connecting pipe 16 to the vacuum pump.

Now, the degree of vacuum in the bellows 19 is regulated by the amount of opening' through the passageway 29, and this open ing is regulated from the operators posi tion by the movement of handle 25. If this handle is moved so as to open the passageway 29, then the vacuum maintained in the bellows will approach that in the lower cavity 14, and thus vacuum will be automatically held by the action of the bellows and spring 18. Thus if the valve plate 30 is set for a given degree of vacuum when a given amount of air is being drawn through the perforations on the music sheet and the number of perforations should be lessened thereby requiring the flow of less air to give an equal degree of vacuum then as the vacuum in the bellows 19 would tend to increase, the bellows would be pulled inwardly against the action of spring 18, which in turn would close the opening 29. This would permit the vacuum in the bellows to lessen until a balance was again reached. On the other hand, if in the passage of the music roll a large number of perforations opened at one time the vacuum in the bellows would fall slightly thereby allowing the .spring 18 to force the bellows apart opening the passageway 20, providing sufficient exhaustion to make up for the increased flow of air.

Now, if in the course of travel of the perforated sheet the melody is found to be in the upper treble, then key 45 is depressed admitting atmospheric pressure to the tube 4 1 connected therewith, which raises the diaphragm of the corresponding cell d0 thereby lifting the valve 40 from its lower seat, closing the passageways into the bellows and opening the passageways into the lower vacuum cavity 14. Thus in the illustration the chamber 7 is placed directly in connection with the cavity 14: wherein is maintained a higher vacuum than within the bellows, as previously described. Thus with little experience any of the sections of the valve chest wherein the melody occurs may be easily and conveniently connected with a course of higher vacuum than the balance of the chest, whereby the notes in this portion are caused to strike harder than in the remainder.

What I claim as new and wish to cover by Letters Patent is 1. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivided vacuum cavity, a vacuum chest having a chamber therein, a bellows mounted on said chest, means for maintaining a lower degree of vacuum in said bellows than in said vacuum chest, tubular connecting members from said vacuum chest, one to each subdivision of said valve chest for placing said tubular members either in communication with the interior of said bellows or the chamber of said vacuum chest.

2. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivided vacuum cavity; of a vacuum chest having high and low vacuum chambers, a regulating valve between said chambers for maintaining the difference in pressure therebetween, tubular connecting members normally communieating with the interior of said bellows and extending from said vacuum chest, one to each subdivision of said valve chest, and valve means for placing any one of said connecting members in communication with the chamber of said vacuum chest.

3. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivided vacuum cavity, a vacuum chest having a cavity therein, a bellows mounted on said vacuum chest, a movable side on said bellows, said bellows having a passageway from the interior thereof to said vacuum cavity, a valve controlled by the movable side of said bellows for maintaining a lower vacuum in said bellows than in said vacuum chest, said vacuum chest having passageways communicating with said vacuum cavity and the interior of said bellows, and means connecting said passageways, one'to each of said subdivisions, valve means for connecting any of said connecting members with either of said vacuum cavities or the interior of said bellows.

4. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivided vacuum cavity, a vacuum chest, having a chamber therein, a bellows mounted on said chest, means for maintaining a lower degree of vacuum in said bellows than in the chamberof said vacuum chest, valve controlled passageways extending between the chamber of said vacuum chest and the interior of said bellows, and connecting means extending from said passageways to subdivisions of said vacuum cavity.

5. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivded vacuum cavity, a vacuum chest having a high and a low vacuum chamber and passageways extending therebetween, valves adapted to open said passageways to either of said vacuum chambers and connecting means extending from said passageways to the subdivision of said vacuum cavity.

6. A note accenting mechanism for pneumatically operated musical instruments, comprising the combination with the valve chest having a subdivided vacuum cavity, a vacuum chest having a high and a low vacuum chamber, and means for placing any subdivision of said valve chest in connection wth either said low or said high vacuum chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BURT R. VAN V ALKENBURG.

Ccpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

